


The Number Five

by kristsune



Category: Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Because I can, Gen, Introspection, Mentions of canon character death, Reflection, me waxing poetic about fives through Stick's eyes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-07
Updated: 2018-09-07
Packaged: 2019-07-08 07:23:54
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 445
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15925646
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kristsune/pseuds/kristsune
Summary: The news of Fives' death reaches the 501st. Stick reacts in the most logical way he can.





	The Number Five

**Author's Note:**

> This honestly happened thanks to more pictures of [ Zayn Malik](https://kristsune.tumblr.com/post/174803206779/keepingupwithzayn-zayn-via-twitter) on my dash. He always gives me Stick vibes, and seeing that prominent 5 tattoo this just had to be done.

Stick was laying on his back, staring at the wall as Poke added his newest tattoo. It was a small old style number five placed below his ear and just a little behind hinge of his jaw. While Poke worked, Stick thought about why he was having it done. 

Rex had just came to them with the news earlier that rotation. Fives was dead. Hunted and shot down by their own brothers. It wasn’t  _ fair _ . Fives had been one of the best. He was at the heart of the 501st.  _ Everyone _ knew and loved Fives. Even those whose feathers he ruffled, or actively and ardently disagreed with him,  _ knew _ he was a good brother, and did his job better than most. 

Fives cared  _ so much _ , and not only about his vode, and successful missions, but he cared about  _ all _ life. He cared about creatures big and small, young or old, civilian or veteran. He never hid that care behind a mask or false pretenses. He was open and free with his love, and it made it so easy to love him back. 

Back before Fives had even made ARC status, Stick had seen him dart in front of a tank to scoop up a young tooka that had wandered too far from it’s mother.  He had been so gentle as he held the small kitten and deposited it back with it’s distressed mother. She even headbutted his hand before herding her litter away from the rest of the troops. 

Stick had seen him help civvies out of burning buildings as much as brothers out of foxholes. He would carry either to the medic stations before heading back out into the fray without hesitation. 

He had  _ never _ lost that soft touch, all throughout the years of pain and suffering and death. Stick saw it all, and admired him for it. Not that long ago he witnessed how much he cared about Tup, and how worried for him he was when things went sideways, killing General Tiplar on mission. But that didn’t change anything between them, Fives stayed with him, making sure he never felt abandoned or alone.   
  
That was the last any of them saw of Fives. Off to help another one of their own, and now he was gone, right along with Tup. Stick refused to believe the shit that the  _ chakaar _ Kaminoans spoon fed to Rex about Tup or Fives. And from the look of it, neither had Rex. As Poke finished Stick’s tattoo, he resolved that they would find a way to honor him. To make sure that whoever was behind all of this, would pay for taking the lives of their  _ vode _ . 


End file.
